Odoo 18 Enterprise Book: Inventory

1. Product Management

Monitoring every aspect of a product is crucial for effective inventory management. Using the Odoo18 Inventory module, you may add new goods to your database that will effectively track and monitor all actions to enhance the inventory management of the pertinent products. The product configuration procedures used by the Inventory module and the Sales and Purchase modules are nearly the same. On the Inventory's main menu bar, you will see a separate menu named Products for effective product management in Odoo18.

As can be seen in the image above, the Products menu offers choices for Products, Product Variants, Packages, and Lots/Serial Numbers.

2.1 Product

It is easy to view all setup items by choosing the items option. We'll start by going over how to configure new products using the Products menu.

The graphic shows the product's platform in Kanban view. The names of the products and important information such as the price, picture, number available, etc., are listed on each product tab. Using the star icon, you can add items to your Favorite list. You will be able to locate all of your favorite products with ease and speed thanks to this.

Odoo18 has advanced sorting options on almost all platforms, as you are aware. The Filters and Group By options are also available in this window, which will help you find the information you need about the product that is displayed in the Inventory module.

To locate the required data, the Filter option provides both conventional and custom possibilities. Products, Services, Published, Available in PoS, Can be Sold, Can be Purchased, Can be Rented, Can be Subcontracted, Can be Expensed, Available Products, Negative Forecasted Quantity, Favorites, Warnings, and Archived Products are among the items you can filter using the default options. The apply Custom Filter option allows you to apply new custom filters to the products. The Group By function offers comparable options for both default and custom sorting. Using the default options, you can arrange products according to the Product Type, Product Category, and POS Product Category. Use the Add Custom Group tool to create more grouping possibilities that suit your needs.

As seen below, a preview of the products is displayed in the list view. The preview contains the following information: Product name, Internal Reference, Responsibility, Product Tags, sales price, cost, quantity on hand, anticipated quantity, and unit of measurement. Additional fields, such as the Website ID, Barcode, Company, POS Product Category, Product Category, Product Type, and eBay Status, can be chosen from the list view's default settings to enlarge it. By choosing the Add Custom Field option, you can add custom fields to the list view.

You can control and modify the details of any product by choosing the items that are required from the list. The product details window appears as seen in the example below.

The user will see advanced smart buttons in the products window based on the data configured on the relevant goods. Click the Extra Prices tab to handle additional product price lists. The product may be easily published and managed on eCommerce with the help of the Go To Website. The available quantities of the inventory will be shown by clicking the On Hand button. In a similar manner, the Forecasted button will show details on the expected values. The In & Out button displays the inventory items' movement history. The specified Reordering Rules and Lots/Serial Numbers for this product can be accessed using the respective smart buttons. On selecting the documents smart tab, you will be provided with the page, as in the image below.

There, you can have the options of sales visibility and publish on website option. The Sales Visibility option controls whether a document (such as a product image, spec sheet, manual, etc.) is visible to internal sales teams. When enabled, the document will be accessible to salespeople within the Sales module, especially in areas where related documents are shown (e.g., product details during quoting or order creation).

This helps sales reps access relevant documents quickly while creating quotations or communicating with customers. The Publish on Website option allows you to make the document publicly available on your Odoo Website, typically as a downloadable file. When checked, the document becomes visible to website visitors, usually attached to the related product or a designated download section.

Additional options to locate details on the product's Bill of Materials, Engineering Change Orders, Putaway Rules, Quality Control Points, Storage Capabilities, Purchase Analysis, Sales Analysis, and Digital Attachments will appear when you select the More button.

Now let's create a new product using the New button and discuss the options in the product settings box. When you click the New button on the product dashboard, Odoo18 will take you to the product configuration window, as seen below.

You can begin by entering the product's name in the Product Name field. You can add this new item to your list of favorites by using the Star sign. You can add a beautiful picture of the product using the available area.

When configuring a new product, you will be asked to select the operation types linked to the product. The options are:

Sales: Select the option that Sales If your items are marketable.

Purchase: Select this option Purchase If the product is available for purchase.

Expenses: expense option is used if you wish to select this product while incurring expenses.

Point of Sale: Select the option Point of Sales To initiate a subscription while authorizing purchases of this item.

Rental: Select the Rental to permit this product to be rented.

To add more details about the product, users provide tabs for General Information, Attributes & Variants, Sales, Purchase, Inventory, and Accounting. A link to the general information tab can be found below.

From the options on this page, you may choose the Product Type. Under that, you have three options, such as :

Goods: You don't need to hold inventory of these because suppliers provide them directly to the right customers.

Services: Odoo considers all of an organization's services to be service items. The user is unable to keep the inventory of this type of goods. It is an intangible service that a company offers.

Combo: It is possible to make combinations of different products. Additionally, clients are free to select what they need.

Once the product category has been indicated, you can select the Invoicing Policy. Odoo18 offers two types of invoicing policies to its users.

Ordered Quantities: You can generate invoices for the quantities that a customer has ordered by using this billing policy. You can invoice for all of the quantities listed in the order before it is delivered if you do this.

Delivered Quantities: Under this billing method, invoices will only be generated based on the supplied quantities. Odoo will generate an invoice for the five delivered quantities when a customer orders twelve quantities of a product but only receives five. An invoice for the remaining seven sums won't be generated until after delivery.

Now, you have the option of Track Inventory, which provides the sub options, like by quantity, by lots, and by unique serial number.

By quantity: Stock levels are controlled using this basic tracking approach in Odoo, which is based on the overall quantities in the warehouse. It works well for goods that need precise stock control but don't require individual identification.

By Lots: Using a distinct identification for every batch, this technique enables tracking of products within batches or lots.

By unique serial number: By employing distinct serial numbers to track separate objects, this system allows for comprehensive product history and information.

Below that, you have the Quantity on hand option, which is the current stock that exists within a warehouse at any time. It assists firms in tracking real-time levels of stocks to ensure proper inventory management and prevent stockouts or excess stocks.

Odoo18 offers tracking solutions for the storable items in your warehouses, which make it simple and quick to locate the item in your inventory. Products can be tracked using the unique serial numbers or lots that are assigned to each one. In the Track Inventory box, you can set up the tracking according to lots of unique serial numbers.

You can list the price you charge your customers for this product in the Sales Price area. There, you can add per units as well. The Per Units menu item in the Odoo Inventory Products Menu assists in specifying how a product is packaged and sold. It aids in maintaining consistency in sales pricing and inventory tracking, especially for companies that handle bulk sales, unit conversions, and packaging.

You can designate the default taxes that are applied to products at the time of setup in the Sales Taxes column. The Avatax Category refers to the taxability information codes that are used to calculate the exact tax rates for each class of items.

You can provide details about the Avatax Category, Category, Barcode, Reference and Company in the appropriate areas. The Internal notes box may contain product-related remarks that are exclusively meant for internal use.

For service-type products, such as event tickets, booths, and courses, the fields that are provided can differ in a number of ways. Below are four different sorts of invoicing policies that you can find here.

• Prepaid/Fixed: Invoices may be created as needed, depending on the ordered amounts.
• Based on Timesheet: Bill for projects or tasks based on timesheets for the amounts provided.
• Based on Timesheet: Bill for projects or tasks based on timesheets for the amounts provided.
• Based on Milestones: Bill jobs or projects based on the milestones that have been reached.
• Based on delivered Quantity: Determine service charges by the actual quantities supplied.

You can select a suitable substitute under the Create on Order section. Upon sales confirmation, this product can produce a Project, Task, or a Project + Task combination, depending on your selection. With this project or assignment, you can keep track of the service you are offering. If the Plan Services option is selected, a shift will be automatically generated for the selected position when the sales order is finalized. A place where you may describe the job will appear after you enable the Plan Services. There is the create repair booolean which can be activated for creaing a repair.

To give the customer a wide range of options, you can monitor many product versions and attributes with Odoo18. Using the Add a Line buttons located under the Attributes & Variants tab, you can specify the product variations that are already configured in Odoo18. If you want to add a new variant or attribute, use the Configure option.

The Sales tab allows you to set the Upsell & Cross-sell, Ecommerce Shop, Ecommerce Media, Quotation Description, Ecommerce description, and Expense.

Customers can find recommendations for alternative, additional, and accessory products in the Upsell and Cross-selling section. Under the upsell and cross sell, you have the packagings, optional products, accessory products, and alternative products options, respectively.

In the ECOMMERCE SHOP area, make reference to the product's tags, is published website, categories, and website sequence.

A range of eCommerce strategies are offered by Odoo18 to boost online sales. On the Sales tab, you will be able to choose which upselling and cross-selling strategies to use. Users are shown products that are deemed optional when they click the Add to Cart button. This is a component of the cross-selling strategy. Odoo18 will use this feature to recommend related products that are available for purchase in addition to the main item. When customers check their shopping carts before checking out, the cross-selling strategy suggests other items to them using supplementary products. Alternative Products suggests alternatives to the product you selected.

Located near the bottom of the product page on the eCommerce website, this is one of the best upselling strategies to boost online sales.

You can configure warnings to appear while this product is being sold in the Warning field under the Sales tab, as seen in the picture below.

You can enable this product in POS by selecting the relevant option in the Point of Sale field. After choosing this option, you will be prompted to activate the To Weight with Scale feature. You can activate this feature if the hardware scale integration is required for the product's weight. Enter the product's category for POS use in the Category section.

Additional details regarding the purchase of the goods can be supplied under the Purchase tab. The suppliers of this product can be listed using the Add a Line button. If you intend to subcontract this product with the selected vendor, you can activate the Subcontractor field.

To make a purchase transaction with the merchant, enter the relevant currency in the designated field. The Unit of Measure used for purchase orders with this vendor, the price to purchase this product from the specified vendor, and the Lead Time for Delivery can also be included in the appropriate boxes. The number of days between the vendor's confirmation of the purchase order and the product's arrival at its destination is known as the delivery lead time.

Odoo allows you to link several vendors to a single product so you can compare prices and select the best deal.

Under the VENDOR BILLS section, you can set the default vendor taxes that are applied to purchases of this product. The control policy will specify how to generate vendor invoices for the products. Bills can be generated based on the quantities that the client has requested by altering the bill control policy to requested amounts. If the customer wishes to pay the bill only after receiving the goods, you can set up a control policy on received quantities. Use the PURCHASE DESCRIPTION tab to include internal remarks on the product's purchasing activities.

Now let's navigate to the Inventory tab in the Product Configuration Window. You can define the operations, logistics, description for receipts, description for delivery orders, and description for internal transfers on this page.

You can define the product's routes using the OPERATIONS column, which will help you match the modules that are installed in your Odoo18 database. You can configure this product's route as Buy, Dropship Subcontractor on Order, Manufacture, Resupply Subcontractor on Order, and Dropship, depending on your company's restrictions.

In the logistics department, assign a responsible worker to oversee the upcoming logistics-related duties for this product. You can enter the customer lead time, version,origin of goods, and HS code of this product in the appropriate areas.

The customer lead time is the number of days that the customer is allocated for delivery after the sales order has been confirmed. Enter the HS Code used for international shipping and product declaration in the designated field. Additionally, you may determine the goods' nation of origin, which provides information about their manufacturing process and location.

Under the Inventory tab, there is a new option that allows you to describe the packaging of the products you currently have. To access this option, you must enable the Units of Measure and Packagings feature from the Settings menu of the module, as seen below.

Turning on this option under the Inventory tab of the product configuration window will make the product packaging function available, as illustrated below.

Product packaging makes it possible to create product packages in preset amounts.

The Description for Delivery Orders and the Description for Receipts can be used to add more remarks for delivery orders and receipts, respectively, as in the image above.

Under the Accounting tab of the Product Configuration window, you may define the data required for the product's accounting operations.

You can enter the Income Account in the RECEIVABLES section and the Expense Account and Price Difference Account in the PAYABLES field. This price difference account is used in automated inventory valuation to document the price discrepancy between a cost and the related vendor bill when verifying vendor invoices.

After adding a new product to your Inventory module, you can use the operational tools on the screen, such as Replenish, Update Quantity, and Print Labels.

Create labels for this product using the Print Label option, which can then be applied to the packages upon delivery. This will send you to a new wizard, as shown below.

You can specify the product's quantity, additional content, and label format in the fields provided below. After selecting the Confirm button, labels for the selected product will be printed. The following example.

After discussing the product configuration capabilities, let's move on to the Inventory module and how to configure product variants.

2.2 Product Variants

Offering customers a variety of product options is a smart strategy to boost sales. Odoo18 allows you to configure several product versions in the Inventory module, just like we did in the Sales and Purchase module. First, make sure the Variants option is enabled in the Inventory module's Settings menu, as seen below.

From the Inventory module's Products menu, you can assess the Product Variants option. The configuration of the product variant is identical to that discussed in the preceding section.

The screenshot below shows the list of variants configured in the Inventory module. The product window and this window are similar. The sole difference is that the Variant Values of the related commodities are now visible.

While configuring a new product, you can list its versions in the Attributes & variants tab. The attributes and values of the variant must be mentioned here.

Using the Configure button, you can create a new variant value right from this platform. Furthermore, Odoo18 offers an alternative platform for setting up new product values and attributes. The Configuration menu provides access to this platform.

Odoo18 will take you to a platform with a list of the attributes that have already been specified when you click the Attributes button on the Configuration page. It shows the property name, category, display type, variation creation mode, and visibility of the eCommerce filter. You can search for attributes using the search box. Sorting can be done using the custom Filter and Group By options in this box. To add new qualities, click the New button.

You can enter the proper title for the attribute in the Attribute Name field. Put similar attributes in the same part of the eCommerce comparison page by selecting a category in the Category box. It is possible to modify the Display Type of a product configurator attribute to Radio, Pills, Select, Color, or Multi-checkbox (optional).

Multi-checkbox is a new feature in Odoo 18. When the order line presents a new window with many product options, customers can select several versions if the display type is Multi-checkbox, as seen in the picture down below.

Additionally, Odoo 18's second new feature is the adding of photos to characteristics. This is only possible when the display type is color. The photos can then be added to the attribute values tab.

In the Variants Creation mode, you can select one of the following methods for producing variants:

Instantly: Every possible version of a product is created instantly with the addition of an attribute and its values.

Dynamically: Each variation is only produced when the pertinent attributes and values are added to a sales order.

Never: Variants of the traits are never created.

You are unable to alter the manner of variation creation once the attribute has been applied to at least one product. You can give buyers the ability to filter products according to their attributes by choosing the Visible option from the eCommerce Filter Visibility box. If you select the Hidden option, the eCommerce page's attribute filters will be hidden. You can list the Attribute Values individually by using the Add a Line button. Users can provide unique values for the attribute value when the Is Custom box is enabled.

You may view the products that fit this attribute by using the Products smart button, which is highlighted in the accompanying image.

The created properties can be applied to the products. Consequently, the Attributes & Variant tab allows users to add the generated attributes to the items.

The properties can be altered by choosing the Configure button, which is located on the right side as seen in the above image. When you click the Configure button, a new window will open. Value, HTML color index, image, and extra cost were provided for each product variation.

By choosing each product, users can enter the extra expense for the version with this attribute's value on sales price in the Value Price Extra field. Because of the Excluded for field, this tribute value cannot be used with other product values or with certain attribute values of optional or supplemental goods.

2.3 Lots/Serial Numbers

After you enable this feature, the Lots/Serial Numbers option will appear under the Products menu.

Here you can view serial numbers and lots that have previously been configured. It also contains the Product, the Creation Date, the Internal Reference number, and the Company, in case it deviates from the manufacturer's lots or serial numbers. Adding a new lot number or serial number to a product is easy with the NEW button.

You might begin by stating a specific lot or serial number in the designated space. You can fill in the appropriate boxes with the Product, Quantity, Internal Reference, and Company. The serial number cannot be altered once the product has been moved. Both the Cost and Average Cost fields show a unit's average cost. The Total Value reflects the total on-hand value for that lot/serial number, as in the image below.

Additional comments about this lot/serial number can be included using the Description tab. And, on enabling expiration date on the settings, you will be provided with a dates tab, as in the image below, which will be updated as per the dates that we provide under the particular product.

Beginning with Odoo 18, the Properties option is also available on the Lot/Serial number. The Action button has an Add Property option.

The box that appears then chooses the field type, adds data, and makes reference to the Label.

The box that appears then chooses the field type, default value, and makes references the Label.

Using the Display Cards, you may select whether the property field shows up in the Calendar, Cards, and Calendar views.

The user will see additional smart buttons on the interface depending on what they do with this lot/serial number. When you configure a new lot/serial number, the Location and Traceability smart buttons will show up on the screen, as seen below.

By clicking on the position symbol, you may see the exact position of the product.

The Location History contains information about the Product, Package, Lot/Serial Number, Owner, On Hand Quantity, Reserved Quantity, and Unit. By clicking the History button here, you can view the product's movement history. This window's Replenishment button allows you to replenish the product.

Pressing the Traceability smart button will reveal the product's tracking details. Each product movement's details, such as the Reference, Product, Date, Lot/Serial, From, To, and Quantity, may be found here.

When defining a new product in the Odoo18 Inventory module, you can specify its traceability. Under the general information tab, as seen in the image below, you can set the product's tracking.

As soon as a product is received in the inventory, it may be issued a lot or serial number. Once a purchase order has been confirmed, you can control the product lots and serial numbers before you receive them. To further understand this, let's create a fresh receipt order and verify it.

The option that is highlighted in the preceding image can now be used in the Receipt window. A new wizard will appear as soon as you choose this option, allowing you to enter the product's lot or serial number.

You can insert the Lot/Serial number and Destination Package into the appropriate fields by using the Add a Line button. In the Odoo Inventory module, Generate Serials/Lots allows you to automatically generate a sequence of serial numbers or lot numbers, while Import Serials/Lots enables you to manually import a list of serial or lot numbers from a file or other source.

Click on "Confirm" in the menu. At this point, you can add the item to your inventory and confirm the receipt.

This lot/serial number will now be displayed in the product details window for this newly purchased item. You may check this by using the smart button, which is shown in the image below, which is on the product details window.

The recently assigned lot or serial number is displayed here.

You can display lots and serial numbers on delivery slips by activating the Display Lots & Serial Numbers on Delivery Slips option under the Traceability tab of the Settings menu.

2.4 Packages

After enabling the Packages feature from the Settings module, you may find the option within the Inventory module's Products menu, as illustrated below. This is the Kanban view of the platform.

You can view the Display Name, Package Type, Location, and Company details of the previously defined packages from the list view.

With the New button, a new package can be created for multiple products.

Package Reference is seen in this window, as it is shown above. You can select a suitable type for your packages under the Package Type section. We'll discuss the settings of the package type later. You can enter the weight of the package in the Shipping Weight section. Place the Company's name and the place of the product in the respective fields. The corresponding field will indicate the Pack Date.

The Package Use configuration has two options: Reusable Box and Disposable Box. Reusable boxes are used for batch picking, and they are emptied and reused. When a reusable box is scanned, the contents of the reusable box are loaded into the barcode application. The reusable boxes are not reused. The contents of a disposable box are loaded when the barcode application scans it. You can see the Products included in this package by clicking on the Content tab. The list of products will be seen only after you use this package for stock movements. Product Name, Lot/Serial Number, Quantity, and Unit of Measurement are all there.

While verifying delivery orders, you may pack multiple items together. Using the smart button on the respective sales order window, you can verify the delivery order after verifying the sales order. You will get the delivery order to approve, as displayed below.

Put in Pack option can be found here on the Operations tab. You can use this button to pack the products the consumer has ordered. A new smart button will be displayed on the screen immediately you choose this option, as shown below.

By selecting the Packages option, you can see the details of the package that is part of this delivery order.

As we said earlier, the Inventory module's Packages option displays these generated packages.